CHAPTER 17


 

 

 

THE VISIT WAS unexpected but a pleasant surprise. Motioning for the demoness to sit, Intunecat brought her a glass of wine and then sat down across from her. Crossing his legs, he leaned back and smiled pleasantly.

"So, what brings you into the Darkness again? ... not that I’m complaining... It’s always a pleasure to see you."

"I wish I could say it’s just a social visit but unfortunately this is more business than pleasure."

"Ah. Well, any visit from you is a pleasure, my dear. What can I do for you?"

Lilith quickly outlined to him her conversations with the Child. Intunecat listened without comment until she reached the point where Eve had been deceived into believing Adam had eaten fruit from the Tree of Knowledge.

"So it was she that led to the downfall of mankind... and its rebirth? Not to mention disrupting half of the spirit world."

"Yes. It seems the Twin didn’t know what he was getting into when he made women."

"Understandable. You are a rather unpredictable gender," chuckled the Dark One after sipping his drink. "I’m curious. Exactly how did Eve get Adam to go against the dictates of the Twin? That is quite a feat."

"Apparently not. She confronted him with the accusation. Of course he denied everything, but the Child had done an excellent job of preparing Eve to handle his resistance. There was no way Adam could win. When she accused him of eating the fruit and not wanting her to have it for fear of becoming his equal, he became indignant and told her she was being ridiculous. Obviously, this didn’t go over well with her and only confirmed her suspicions."

"I can imagine."

Lilith quickly outlined the entire story.

Intunecat laughed. It definitely had put Adam in an awkward position.

"It would hard to contradict that logic."

"Impossible... and Adam being Adam, didn’t have a clue how to deal with a disgruntled Eve. All he could do was try to assure her he hadn’t eaten the fruit and the Twin hadn’t created her to be inferior to him. She might have believed him if the Child hadn’t told him about me."

The dark spirit almost choked on his wine.

"She didn’t!" he exclaimed, wiping the drops from his shirt.

"She did! Once she described how I was created from the same dust as Adam, our disagreement over equality and then my banishment from Paradise... well, poor Adam... there wasn’t anything he could say to defend himself. Eve told him the only way he could prove he hadn’t eaten the fruit was to eat it."

"He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t... no pun intended."

"Yes... literally. At first he refused but Eve took that as an admission of guilt. After all, if he refused, it meant he had already eaten one and knew what the tree offered... and intentionally kept that knowledge from her. When she took him to the tree, he realized the only way to prove his innocence and his love was to eat one. I have to admit, he must have loved her a great deal to defy the Twin."

"I agree. Even in the spirit world we feel his occasional wrath, although he seems to have mellowed over the millennia."

"I think he and Dis have an unspoken understanding and maybe a little lazy. Another Great Battle would probably destroy both kingdoms so they’ve confined their differences to the mortal world and are letting the humans determine their own fates."

"That makes sense. Well, now... I know how this story ends. I've always wondered how it came about. Another great mystery solved. So what is it that brings you here?"

"The Child. I want to free her."

"And you think she has repented her indiscretions and now deserves a pardon?"

"I think she has suffered enough and was the product of my own indiscretions. She was just a child needing guidance and I failed her."

"She was never just a child, my dear. As your daughter and Dis’, she was destined to be someone greater than either of you."

"I’m not so sure about that. It’s true she has Dis’s blood running through her veins but it’s no longer pure."

"That may be so but she also carries the blood of the Twin’s creation. She’s the product of two of the most powerful known entities."

Lilith frowned.

"I never considered that. Once I became a demon, I never thought much about my creation."

"Contrary to what you may believe, the Underlord may be able to change who you are, but not what you are. Even he could never remove the original dust from which you were created. But that’s not important, now. Why do you think I can help you release your daughter?"

"I’m not sure you can. However, I’ve been thinking about why she was able to contact me after all this time. The only thing I could come up with that's different is my visit here. That’s when she first intruded into my thoughts."

"I see. It would make sense. My world is one of nothingness. If she wanted to communicate with you, it would be the best place, since there's nothing to interfere with thoughts. Can you talk to her now?"

"I’m here."

"Yes. She hears you."

"Can she hear me when you’re not present?"

"No. His world is impenetrable as are his thoughts."

"No."

"Good. It would make me very uncomfortable knowing my world was not the fortress of solitude I thought it was. Listen, child..." said Intunecat, talking to her indirectly. "I want you to look around and tell me what you see."

"Only darkness, except for you and Mother."

"She sees only the darkness and us."

"How did you and Dis get her into the Netherworld?"

"By opening a door. He said it was one way. Once it closed it could never be reopened."

"That’s probably true."

"I don’t accept that. There must be a way."

"No... at least not through the door."

Intunecat put his finger tips together and leaned his chin on them, trying to think of another way to help the demoness. After a few minutes, he straightened up and looked directly at Lilith.

"I must talk to her directly."

"How? She can only communicate through me."

"There’s a way but the price is high."

"What is it?"

"I will need access to your thoughts... to enter your mind. Only then can she and I talk."

Lilith didn’t like the idea. To allow anyone to take control of her in such a way was unthinkable... and yet...

"If you don’t trust him, then don’t do it. I can wait."

"I trust him. I just don’t like having someone else inside my head. It would give them too much power."

"I’d know if he did anything more than talk with me... besides, I would never allow him to see more than you wanted him to. Trust me, Mother, and I will buffer your thoughts and memories against him... and I promise not to intrude into the areas beyond the boundaries you set."

"I still don’t like it but if there’s no other way, I have no choice."

"You always have a choice, Lilith. Be sure of this, though. Once you and I merge, you won’t be able to change your mind. If you have doubts then speak now."

"I’m sure... but do it quickly."

Intunecat knelt next to her and placed his right hand across her temple. With his left, he clasped her two hands and gripped them gently.

"Close your eyes."

Reluctantly, she obeyed him and immediately felt her thoughts being eased aside. As it turned out, his entry was barely noticeable, more like the soft caress from the breezes created by a butterfly. Few would even notice.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, child, once again I ask you to look around and tell me what you see."

"Like I said... just the darkness and the two of you."

"Are you sure? Try again. Examine the minutest areas for anything that might be an anomaly. Like your mother, I believe there must be a way out. Even nothing is something. Take your time."

Intunecat waited patiently, giving her a chance to inspect her domain. He could feel Lilith growing restless. Even she could not control her own will if it decided to rebel against him.

"Just a few more minutes."

The demoness could feel his attempts to soothe the part of her that resisted his presence. Her will calmed slightly, granting him a little more time.

"I think I see it!" the Child sounded like... well... like a child who had made some great discovery... and perhaps she had.

"What?"

"I’m not sure. A crack. No, that’s not it. It’s too perfect. A... circle... an oval... but like a crack you would see in glass."

"Very good. Is it in the darkness or in the window from which you view the other realms."

"There is no darkness here. My world is surrounded by the others... well, except yours and the spirit world. I can’t see into those places."

"Okay. Look closely at the center of the circle. Tell me if it is different in any way."

Again he waited. So far Lilith’s will remained calm, unwilling to give in to its own weaknesses.

"It’s barely noticeable but it’s different. There’s a small distortion."

"What do you see looking when you look through it?"

"A bedroom. I see a bedroom."

"Do you recognize anything?"

"No."

Turning his thoughts to Lilith, he asked the same question. The demoness emerged from where she was hiding and looked at what her daughter was seeing.

"That’s Dis’ room! Only he would have such a huge bed."

"Does he have a mirror in the room?"

"Of course! He likes to admire himself! Why?"

"That is the doorway you seek. The Child is another Alice."

"Alice?"

"A human story. Alice Through the Looking Glass. That was her way home too."

It’s too easy, Lilith thought. Why didn’t Dis know this?

"He had no reason to... and rarely do we see the obvious. Speaking of which, I think your will has been patient enough."

His exit from her thoughts was as gentle as his entrance. Standing he returned to his chair and waited for the demoness to gather her thoughts.

"Are you well?"

"Yes. I feel fine. Thank you for making it less painful."

"My pleasure. Now, as much as I would like to keep you here longer, I’m sure you are anxious to reunite with your daughter. She will need your help to make the transition."

"I don’t understand. If it was this simple..."

"Why didn’t she discover it herself? It wouldn’t have done her any good. You and the Underlord banished her to the Netherworld. Until the banishment is lifted by the both of you, she will remain locked in that realm."

"Dis has already granted me full rights to make the decision. He has no say in this now."

"Then you should have no more problems. I look forward to meeting your daughter one day."

Standing, Lilith walked over and kissed the Dark One on the cheek.

"Thank you."

The blush creeping up his neck and around his ears made Intunecat feel awkward... in a pleasant way. Patting her hand, he smiled his most beautiful smile, pleased by her small gesture.

"As always, it was my pleasure."

Lilith stroked his hair once and then walked into the darkness. Once again, Intunecat felt a great sadness and loneliness.

"Give her time," whispered a soft voice. "Mother has never been one to rush things."

"I know," he replied, aware that by merging with Lilith, he had given her daughter access to his own thoughts. Hopefully, the bond would weaken and then disappear.

"I won’t abuse your trust, Intunecat, but I wanted to thank you, myself. Without you, I wouldn’t be going home."

"Things have changed, Child. It’s no longer the place you knew. Although I personally think the humans are better off for what you have done, there are those who would disagree... but don’t misunderstand me. What you did was wrong and many have suffered because of it, especially Adam and Eve."

"That is my burden to bear. I only wish I could have told them how sorry I was."

"They are long gone, now."

"Intunecat?"

"What, Child?"

"All humans have souls. Why didn’t they? Was the Twin so angry he wanted to punish them by not giving them souls?"

"I don’t have an answer for that. From what I do know, I’d say no. If anything, he loved them so much that he would have done everything in his power to insure they survived their deaths. He probably never imagined they would be leaving Paradise, so he never thought they needed souls. After all, they were destined to live forever in the world he created for them. It wasn’t until after they died that he may have realized his mistake and made sure all other living things had souls. I think it was the only way he could insure their essences would continue on."

"That would explain human evolution, wouldn’t it? The starting over thing."

"Yes. The Twin was greatly disappointed with Adam and Eve. They were like children to him and he must have felt betrayed by their disobedience. He was perhaps the first parent to learn that there comes a time when all living things must let go of their young in order for them to grow. The only way he could do that was to send them to the mortal world and hope they and their offspring would flourish. But enough of this for now. Perhaps one day you will visit me and we can discuss this matter in more detail."

"I hope so. Thank you."

Intunecat felt her slip away... and with her, a similar loneliness to that her mother had left behind. Feeling an unusual need for some companionship, he decided to visit Mari and Maopa. Just the thought perked him up. The Earth Mother and her partner would wonder why he was paying them a social visit. That should make them a little nervous. The thought amused him.